Dish-washing machine.



G. S. BLAKESLEE.

DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 2.1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET I Patented Apr. 8, 1919.

A I iiII I I I III I W b G. S. BLAKESLEE.

DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED .IULYZ. 1914.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- II II [I II II II [I II II II II ll ""llll ll II II n u wz'tneysyf G. S. BLAKESLEE.-

DISH WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY2.1914.

1,299,667. Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-S.HEET 3.-

GEORGE s. BLAKESLEE, or cnrceeo, manners.

DISH-WASHING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, fate.

Application filed July 2, 191a. Serial No. 848,646.

To all whom it may'concer'n:

Be it known that I. GEORGE S.'BLAKESLEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dish-VVashing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompany ing drawings. I

My invention relates to dish-washing machines, and has particularly to do with machines of the type in which the dishes to be washed, placed in a suitable receptacle termed a basket, are moved over a succession of tanks containing the wash water and rinsing water, respectively, the Water being violently thrown against and over the dishes during their passage over the tanks by means of water-wheels di posed laterally with reference to the tank (1 acting by their rotation to take up water therefrom and discharge it upon the dishes. A dishwashing machine of this type is shown and described in my pending application Serial No. 760,974, filed April 14:, 1913, and my present invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the machine of said application. Such improvements relate to means for more efliciently applying the wash water and rinsing water to the dishes; to the mounting of the endless chain by which the dish-holding baskets are moved into and over the tanks, and to the driving mechanism by which said chain is operated: to a construction and arrangement for returning the dish-holding baskets from the outlet end of the machine to the inlet end thereof; to the mounting of the waterwheels; to the construction of the tanks; and to certain other features of construction which will be hereinafter pointed out. That which I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improved dish-washing machine taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 2 is a detail, being a partial horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating the manner of mounting the conveyer chain by which the dish-holding baskets are moved over the tanks;

Fig. 3 is a detail, being a partial vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a side elevation illustrating the apparatus for returning the. dish-holding baskets from the outlet'end of the machine to the inlet end thereof;

5 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, being asectional view showing a portion of the paddlewheel shaft and one of the bearings in which said shaft is mounted;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail, .oeing a partial vertical section on line 7-7 of Fig. 2;

.Fig. 8 is a partial vertical cross-section on line 8-8 of Fig. l;

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical cross-section on line 9 9 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail, being a vertical section on line 10-10 of Fig. 11 showing the friction coupling through which the carrier belt or chain is driven;

Fig. 11 is a partial section on line 11-11 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the bearing-blocks used in the coupling shown in Figs. 10 and. 11.

Referring to the drawings,-

13 indicates the washing-tank and 14 the rinsing-tank of my improved washing-machine, said two tanks being preferably provided by constructing an elongated tank of the requisite dimensions and dividing it transversely into two separate tanks by a partition 15, shown in Fig. 1. At opposite sides of the partition 15 and removed a short distance therefrom, are two cross-partitions 16-17 having one or more perforations 18, near their lower margins, forming chambers 19-20 at oppdsite sides of the partition 15, as shown. These partitions 16-17 are not quite as high as the partition 15 and their function is to prevent as far as possible, the splashing of wash water from-the washing tank 13 into the rinsing tank 14:. As will be morefully explained, the water-in the washing and rinsing tanks is taken up by the water wheels and thrown violently against the dishes so that the water in said tanks is violently agitated while the machine is in motion, By providingthe partitions 16-17, however, the agitated portion of the water in said tanks is removed a greater distance from the partition 15 and consequently there is not so much danger of wash water splashing from the washing-tank into the rinsingtank. By reason of the perforations 18 the water in the compartments 19-20 stands at the same level as in the washing and rinsing tanks, respectively.

At the outer end portions of the washing 4 and rinsingtanks, respectively, I provide transverse partitions 21-22, respectively, forming compartments 2324. The partitions 2122 aresomewhat lower .than the end walls of the washing and rinsing tanks and consequently the water in said tanks may be caused to overflow into said compartments 2324 by allowing enough water to flow into said tanks to accomplish that end. The purpose of these compartments 23-24 is to allow the grease accumulating on the surface of the water to be floated out of the 'tanks and removed, and for'this purpose the compartments 2324'are connected at the bottom to a drain-pipe 25, best shown" in Fig. 1. The washing andrinsing tanks 1314 also communicate with the drainpipe 25 through pipes 2627, respectively, having valves 28,29. Thus the water may be drawn off from either or both tanks, when desired. v

At one side of each of the tanks 13-14 is provided a semi-cylindrical compartment 30 which communicates with the adjacent tank at a point above the bottom "thereof a but below the normalwater level thereof, as

illustrated in Fig. 8. In each of said compartments 30 is mounted a water-wheel .31, the construction of which is best'shown ;in Figs. v1 and 8. As th'ereinshown, each of said water-wheels comprises a pair of separated disks 32 mounted on a shaft 33 and connected together by buckets 34, said buckets being substantially rectangular in crossmore nearly the form ofa very section, as shown. The arrangement is such that by rotating the water-wheels thebucktas will pass successively below the level 'ofthe water in the compartment 30 in which the water-wheel is mounted, and will take up the water and throw it upon the dishesto break up the masses of Water takenup" by the buckets and distribute it more generally. and uniformly over the dishes, 1 pro-- vide a series of depending fingers 37 which depend between the point of discharge-of the water-wheel buckets and the upper portions of the washing and rinsing compartments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the result being that the water thrown into'the washing and rising tanks by the water-wheels is broken up by the fingers 37 so as to assume h y shower, and consequently is more thoroughly rinsing tanks, except at the ends.

distributed over and through the dishes, thus more efficiently cleansing them. v

It will be noted that as shown in dotted I lines in Fig; 1, both the water-wheels are mounted upon the same shaft 33, which extends through both compartments 30, and to prevent binding and to insure the alinement of the several bearings of said shaft, one of which is placed at each end of-each compartment 30, I mount the shaft 33 in sleeves 38 provided with rounded bearing rings 39 projecting from their outer surfaces,

cates a motor for driving, the shaft 33, said motor being preferably mounted on a suitthereby reable support 42 arranged above the housing 43- which forms the chamber 30 and also incloses the upper portion of the washing and The motor 41 is provided with a pulley 44, which drives a belt 45 running upon a pulley 46 mounted upon the shaft 33 between the two compartments 30, as shown in Fig. 1. This construction and arrangement for driving the shaft 33 is not herein separately claimed, as it is included in my pending application hereinbefore referred to.

The. dishes to be washed, as has been suggested, are moved into the machine upon the rails '36-by an endless belt or chain. This chain is best shown at 47 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. As therein shown, sprocketwheels 4849. The

wheel 48 is mounted between the members 50'51- of a forked bracket 52, which is se-.

cured to a bracket 53 havin forks atboth ends, as shownin Fig. 2. is adjustable longitudinally 'of the bracket 53 by reason of the fact that it is secured thereto by bolts 54v passingthrough slots it operates upon I sprockethe bracket 52 55 in the bracket 52, as shown in Fig.

The purpose of this arrangement is to permit of the adjustment of the sprocket' wheel 48 toward or from the sprocket-wheel 49 so as to properly regulate the tension upon the chain 47. 56 57 indicate arms at one endof the bracket 53 which form one of the forks thereofpsaid arms being spaced apart a considerable distance so as to provide a, stable support therefor.

The ends.

of thearms 5657 are cut-away to form projecting lips 58, as shown in-Fig. 3 adapttion 21, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said ed to rest on the upper margin of the parti I arm'sare also provided with downwardlyprojectin lips 58 which bear against the vertlcal ace of the partition 21, as shown in Fig. 1. At its opposite end the bracket 53 is provided with a sleeve 59 from which project arms 60-61, also forming a fork in which is mounted a transverse rod or bar 62, best shown in Fig. 2. The ends of this rod 62 are adapted to fit into hook-like supports 63, best shown in Figs. 2 and 7. Thus the bracket 53 may very readily be removed and replaced, since to remove it all that is necessary is to lift the arms 56-57 off the partition 21 and draw the rod 62 out of the hooks 63. The bracket 53 may be restored by slipping the ends of the rod 62 into the hooks 63 and then dropping the arms 56-57 upon the partition 21. The sprocket-wheel 49 is mounted upon a shaft 64 which is journaled in the sleeve 59 and carries pinions 65-66, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 9. As shown in Fig. 9, the pin ion 65 meshes with a pinion 67 which is mounted on a shaft 68, which shaft is driven from the shaft 33 through intermediate gearing and connections as follows: 69 indicates a spiral gear mounted on the shaft 33, as best shown in Fig. 9 and indicated in dotted'lines in Fig. 1. Said gear meshes with a gear 70 mounted on a vertical shaft 71 and connected by-a friction coupling 72 with a shaft 73 which carries a spiral gear 74, the latter meshing with a spiral gear 75 mounted on the shaft 68, as shown in Fig. 9. Thus the motor 41 operates to drive the chain 47. The construction of the friction coupling 72 is best shown in Figs. 10 and 11, from an inspection of which it will be seen that the shaft 71 carries a ring 76 non-rotatably secured to the shaft 71 by a hub 77, and the shaft 73 carries a plate shaft by a hub 79, said hubs being suitably keyed or otherwise conveniently secured to their respective shafts. The plate 78 has mounted in its inner surface two strong spring-arms 80-81 mounted on pivots 82-83, respectively, spaced a distance apart so that said arms are, generally speaking, parallel, although, preferably, their intermediate portions are bowed as shown in Fig. 10. The free ends of the arms 80-81 are held a distance apart by a screw 84 which is adjustable so that the distance separating the free ends of said arms may be varied, as desired. 85-86 indicate shoes or blocks which fit between the bowed portions of the .arms 80-81 and the opposite surfaces of the ring 76, the outer surfaces of said blocks being made convex so as-to fit the curvature of said ring, as shown in Fig. 10. Thus the shoes 85-86 serve as brakes which are spring-pressed against diametrically-opposite portions of the ring 75, and the pressure of said shoes against the ring may be made as stron as desired by adjusting the screw 84. bus the shafts 70 and 73 are 'operatively connected through 78 non-rotatably secured to said improved machine,

the friction coupling, and under normal conditions there is no slippage, but in case of emergency where the resistance of the shaft 73 increases beyond a certain point, the shoes 85-86 will slip on the ring 76, thereby preventing breakage.

It has been explained that the dishes in the baskets resting on the rails 36 are moved into the machine b the chain 47, and are washed and rinse during their passage from one end of the machine to the other. At the outlet end of the machine the baskets are received upon a table 87, as shown in Figs. 4 and. 5, which table also communicates with a table or sup ort 88 which extends longitudinally of tlib machine at one side thereof and is inclined downward from the outlet to the inlet end thereof, as best shown in Fig. 4. Said table 88 is provided with rails 89 on which the baskets rest and also with an endless chain 90 which operates over sprocket-wheels 91-92 arranged under the table, as shown. Said chain has one or more lugs 93 adapted to engage the end of the basket to move it along the rails 89. The sprocket-wheel 91 is mounted on a shaft 94 which is supported in bearings 95 under the table 88, as shown in Fig. 9, and is provided with a gear 96 which meshes with the gear 66. It will be seen, therefore, that the chain 90 is also driven from the motor 41, but in a reverse direction from that of the chain 47. The baskets after being emptied, and either before or after being refilled, are placed on the rails 89 in advance of one of the lugs 93 and are automatically returned to the inlet end of the machine by the travel of the chain 90.

97 indicates 'a pipe having nozzles 98 in the washing and rinsing tanks for supplying steam or hot water thereto, and 99 indicates a cold-water pipe having nozzles 100 for supplying cold water to said tanks. Both the hot-water and cold-water pipes are suplied with suitable valves, as shown.

To briefly summarize the operation of my the baskets containing the dishes to be washed are placed by the attendant upon the rails 36 over the chain 47, which is providedwith a lug 47 as shown in Fig. 1, so that as said chain travels said lug engages the rear margin of the basket and moves it into the machine where it first passes in front of the water-wheel communicating with the washing tank 13. As said wheel rotates, the water is taken up and thrown through the deflecting fingers 37, by which it is distributed more generally over the dishes but nevertheless strikes them with considerable violence thereby cleansin them thoroughly. The heavier particles 0 matter removed from the dishes settle to the bottom of the tank, and as the wash water carried up by the water-wheel is taken from the upper part of the tank the wash water is always relatively free from solid matter. The greasymatter-rises to the surface of the water after washing operations have ceased and may be floated ofl' over the partition 21,

into the chamber 23, whence it is drawn off through the discharge-pipe 25. The basket.

ated on by the rinsing water,-th operation being the same as in the case of washing.

The rinsing-Water is kept pure and clean by reason of the separation of the washing and rinsing tanks and the provision of the chambers 1920 between them, which insure against objectionable contamination of the rinsing water by the wash water. After be ing rinsed, the asket containing the dishes" is moved out upon the table 87, where the dishes are removed and the basket again filled with dishes to be washed, when it is placed by the attendant upon the rails 89 and is moved back to the entrance of the machine. By inclining the table 88 the movement of the baskets backto the starting point is facilitated and the strain upon the driving mechanism reduced. Should the baskets meet with extraordinary resistance,'or if for any reason the load'becomestoo heavy, the friction coupling will slipas described, so that there is no danger of breaking the baskets and dishes through the application to the baskets of too much power. If access is desired to the inlet end of thewashing tank, the chain 47 with the supports by which it is carried may readily be removed by simply lifting the arms 5657 high enough to clear the partition 21 on which they rest and then moving the rod, 62 out of engagement with its supports 63. The tension of the chain 47 may be maintained at the proper point by adjusting the bracket 52 longitudinally of the bracket 53 in the manner described. The rocker bearings provided-for the shaft 33 automatically aline themselves so that there is no danger of bindin and the shaft, therefore, always operates eely.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A dish-washing machine, comprising a baskets as they tank adapted to contain water," means for supporting a dish-holding basket as it is moved through the tank "over the water therein, a water-wheel at one side of said support, and a series ofwater distributing fingers disposed between the upper portion ofthe water-wheel and the path ofthe dish- "holding basket for distributing the Water delivered to the dishes,

. 2. A dishswashingmachine, comprising a tank divided transversely by a partition into compartments for washing. andrinsing water, means for supporting a dish-holding basket as it is moved thereover, and partitions forming chambers between said Washing and rinsing compartments at opposite sides of said first-mentioned partition.

3. A dish-washin machine, comprisin a tank, means adapte tosupport dish-holding are moved over said tank, means comprising a water-wheel at one side of said tank for discharging water upon the dishes, a shaft by'whlch said waterdischarging means is driven, a conveyer for moving the dish-holding baskets into the tank, and mechanism for driving said con .veyer from said shaft comprising a second shaft, a ring secured to-vsaid second shaft, and a thirdshaftalined with said second shaft and having shoes spring pressed against the inner surface of said ring.

4:. A dish-washing machine, comprisin a tank, means adapted to support dish-holdlng baskets as they-are moved over said tank, means comprising a water-wheel at one side of said tank for discharging water upon the dishes, a shaft by which said Water discharging means is drlven, a conveyer for moving the dish-holding baskets into the tank, mechanism for driving said conveyer from said shaft comprising a second shaft, a ring secured to said second shaft, a third shaft alined with said second shaft and having shoes spring-pressed against the inner surface of said ring, and means for varying the pressure of said shoes against said ring.

GEORGE S. BLAKESLEE.

Witnesses: 1

J OHN L. 'JAoKsoN, WILLIAM A. FURNNER. 

